finding joy in the simple things

Ultimate Baby Prep Checklist

Getting ready for a baby is a lot of work. I have no idea how many hours I spent creating list after list of things I needed for this child. But here I am to spare you the work!

After lots of researching and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting… I came up with an extensive list of what you need for your little one. I’ve linked each thing to the specific item that I either received or purchased.

BABY NECESSITIES

Bouncer/Swing/Rock’n’Play [We didn’t purchase any of these things. Instead, we waited to see what our baby would prefer and borrowed different things from friends. This is the only thing that you won’t want to buy beforehand, as it’s all about baby’s preferences.]

Baby wrap [I use this wrap so much. My son is super clingy, and most days he is only happy when he is right up next to me. This has seriously been a lifesaver. Youtube has all the wrapping tutorials! This is essentially the same thing as the Moby wrap.]

Breastfeeding cover [This is the cover that I registered for, and I don’t like it at all because it flops on Sam’s face and I can’t see what I’m doing. Get one that stands straight out like this so you can see your baby!]

Wipes & Diapers [I really wanted to do cloth diapers & wipes…but realized I didn’t have the energy to do cloth diapers. Maybe someday. But with all the energy and craziness of having a brand new baby, I’m very glad I at least didn’t start out with it.]

Wipe warmer [Totally not necessary, but it is nice. You can put homemade cloth wipes in it too!]

Burp Cloths

Receiving blankets [I got a ton of different blankets…. Flannel, fleece, quilted, crocheted, muslin… For some reason, I thought I needed all of them. Sam uses one kind of blanket. The big fuzzy ones are just the best for us. Who knew you only needed two blankets for a baby to survive!]

Baby thermometer

Washable and/or disposable nursing pads [I received reusable nursing pads & realized they were a big pain. If you DO use washable, you probably want to get a lot of them. Similar to cloth diapers.]

“Soothies” [I never used the nipple cream the hospital gave us – coconut oil works just fine! But they did give me these little pads called “soothies” and they were so much better than rubbing cream on my sore nipples. You stick these things in the fridge and you can reuse them! Then when things really hurt, you pull them out and stick them on. They felt amazing!!! Seriously. When your nipples hurt that bad, you won’t want to touch them to put on the cream. These are infinitely better.]

Nursing bras

Nursing tank tops

Nursing nightgown [I got all my nursing stuff at Walmart. Very cheap. I hadn’t thought to get the nightgown originally, but I saw it and it was cute. I ended up wearing it for labor and I wear it every night that it is fairly clean. All my nursing things have milk stains, rips, and a lot of wear from only a month of nursing! Probably for the best to not get expensive stuff.]

Boppy [Whenever I don’t use the boppy for nursing it makes my back hurt so bad! Of course you can live without it though. The hospital gave us one, but we had already received one, so we gave it away.]

Glider [IF you don’t already have a good chair to sit and nurse the baby in. Our only recliner is very wide, so I can’t rest my arms when I’m nursing. This is definitely a big purchase though, so see if you can work with what you have.]

Changing table [This table had some pretty awful reviews, but a couple good ones. Because of our very limited room, we were so desperate for something that could double as a dresser. So we gave it a try! It’s held up really well and we absolutely love it.]

IF you need to pump & bottle feed:

Breastpump [The thought of a breastpump overwhelmed me – first of all, because of how expensive they can be and second of all… so many parts! Per my mother’s advice, I put up a status on facebook asking for a used pump. I got 10+ responses and got my pump for free! And as to the parts, it really wasn’t that hard to figure out. All the pumping stuff can be overwhelming, but all you have to do is a little research. Here’s a quick guide to the world of pumping.]

SLOW-FLOW INFANT bottle [We tried a regular bottle at first, and it backfired! Sam ate 5 oz. in less than 5 minutes and he got really sick & gassy from eating so fast. He also didn’t want to come back to the breast for a while because it took so much effort to get the milk.]

For Later (4-6 mo. +)

Crib

Waterproof crib cover

Crib mattress

Crib sheets

Booster seat OR high chair [We have a very tiny kitchen and couldn’t afford a high chair, so we opted for a little plastic booster seat.]

TO-DO BEFORE BABY

1-6 months

Ask someone to do maternity photos

Make a baby registry

Get home organized & deeply cleaned – you won’t have time to do it after baby comes!

Start collecting things for the nursery

Watch & read plenty of labor and childcare videos/books/articles

Watch & read breastfeeding videos/books

Sign up for labor & breastfeeding classes

Makes sure you have plenty of phone/camera storage for all the cute pictures you’ll want to take of your newborn!

Start to figure out what you will do for maternity leave if necessary

7 months

Go shopping for any essentials you didn’t get from showers/gifts

Set up a changing station

Go on a little “babymoon” with husband – it will be the last vacation you have for a while!

Take labor & breastfeeding classes

Write thank you notes for baby gifts

Get maternity photos taken

Sign up for WIC coupons

Make a list of things you want to do before baby (places to go, books to read, projects to complete, etc.)

8 months

Ask for hand-me-downs in every size. Organize what you want to keep by size & keep stored. Keep newborn & 0-3 outfits, and newborn & size 1 diapers at home ready to go.

Write a birth plan

Pick a pediatrician

Deep clean house

Make diaper rash cream, baby soap, & any other DIY baby projects

Get a fresh haircut, a pedicure, or something else to spoil yourself while you are feeling fluffy and swollen.

Make sure you have nursing bras, tanks, etc. Most likely people won’t give these as gifts. [I found that nursing CLOTHES were gonna be a waste of money. As long as I had a tank top on under a loose top, I could get him under there to nurse. No special clothing necessary!]

Ask someone to take labor photos if you want, or someone to come right after birth to take photos of you & hubby with baby

Buy some giant, comfy grandma undies for after… you will really like them when you are floppy and sore!

Make “padsicles” [freeze giant pads with witch hazel, aloe vera and lavender. I found that I liked them right before I had the baby as well because I had gotten so sweaty.]

Make freezer meals. [You will be so glad you did!! I made a month’s worth and we have yet to use them. It will cut down on the grocery bills & the cooking those first few months.]

Install car seat

9 months

Stock little baskets by your bed & nursing chair so you can get what you need while you are nursing

Sterilize breast pump & bottles

Stock up on necessities like toilet paper, kleenex, paper towels, paper plates, laundry detergent, soap, etc. [I cannot express enough how HAPPY I was to have paper plates that first month. No new mom wants to spend her very little free time doing dishes!]